The Blue Skies
by DragonLadyZ
Summary: With the arrival of Skellig and Elfhelm, Caska's treatment is close.  But Schierke is having visions, visions that need explaining.  Takes place after the events of the Sea God.  CHAPTER 2 IS UP!
1. Introduction

**The Blue Skies: Introduction**

"W-what in the hell are you?" A severely wounded apostle roared as he stared at his enemy with mixed feelings of hatred and fear. He had never seen anything like this before. It was as if some unknown force was spitting in the faces of his lords, the God Hand. Looking about, he could see that the hundred or so other apostles were dead, all burnt to a crisp or cut into shreds. This was not how it was supposed to happen.

_Griffith! Please, help me! _The apostle pleaded in his mind, his foe rising before him. The enemy he was facing looked like a phoenix made of flames, its size easily larger than a city church. A pair of icy-blue eyes pierced into his very soul.

"He will not help you now…" the phoenix laughed in a loud shout. "You must burn."

The apostle had only a moment to scream before he felt himself crumble and die as a firestorm rushed over his body, leaving nothing but cinders. The phoenix's blue eyes vanished soon after, the flames dying down slowly to reveal the source of the power. It was a young man in his early twenties dressed in simple villager's garb, a dome-shaped grass hat resting on his head. His eyes shone like blue pebbles, his irises rippling like waves on the sea. Turning, he tipped the brim of his hat in farewell to his enemies as he walked off along the dirt road heading towards the ocean.

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"Wha-?" was all Schierkecould manage to say as she awoke from her sleep. Looking around, she could still see that she was aboard Roderick's ship, sailing towards Elfhelm. It had been two days since they dealt with the sea god and still everyone was recovering from the incident. Everyone except for the little witch girl herself. Sitting up, she slid off her bed and began to get dressed.

_That's the third time I've dreamt about that man since we left that island. What does it mean? Is it a vision? …I really wish my mistress were here. She'd know what this is about._

Her thoughts were suddenly stopped as she heard a knock on the door.

"Uh-yes?"

"Yo! Schierke! Come on up! You gotta see this!" she heard the all-too-familiar annoying voice of Ishidoro.

"Oh great…what is it now?" She yelled back. There was no answer, just the satisfying noise of Ishidoro running down the corridor and up the stairs to the upper deck. Not wanting to keep her companions waiting, Schierke quickly finished what she was doing and left her room to find out what all the excitement was about. Heading to the upper deck, she could see the crew crowded near the starboard side of the ship.

_Oh no, I hope it's not another encounter._

But she was wrong in worrying. Approaching the group, she took a peak over the railing and saw what they had been journeying for: elfhelm. It was a large island to be sure, full of forests and a large mountain in the back. It looked to be the several times larger than the cities she saw on their journeys. Plenty big for an entire civilization to live on.

_So that's Elfhelm?_

From within the crowd, she could hear Puck saying "aahhh…home, sweet home."

Looking about, she noticed that Guts wasn't in the group. Her eyes wandered towards the Port side. Nothing. Then she averted her gaze to the front of the ship and finally laid eyes on him. There he was, standing with his eyes peeled on the island. Near him she could see Caska holding the young boy she was fostering for a while. He was a mystery, that was for sure. And she didn't know why, but she kind of envied him.

_Is he Caska's son? I wonder what it would be like to have a parent. The mistress never told me where I came from. Maybe I've got a family somewhere out there…._

Unlike herself, she let her mind wander. She was now thinking on things that she never really considered before. It almost made her feel lonely. Still, she was with friends; friends she could call family. She smiled at the idea and brought her attention back to the island.

_I hope Caska will be fine. I don't know all the details, but if the elves and witches there can help her, then it's all for the best. _

She found herself broken from her chain of thought and quickly annoyed as the loud sound of Ishidoro hollering "kickass!" wafted into her ears.


	2. Chapter 1  Arrival at Skellig

**The Blue Skies: Chapter 1 – Arrival at Skellig**

The man with the straw hat moved through the dense forest, the trail rough as his boots tread over dead grass, moss and small branches. His piercing eyes looked ahead, a set of trees stuck in his path.

"It looks like the forest doesn't want me to leave. That's too bad," he whispered under his breath. Raising his left hand, he moved it downwards, a burning aura surrounding his body as he did so. And as he moved his hand downwards, the trees that blocked his way began shifting and bending, forming a path for him to tread through. He made it look as if he just pushed some shrubbery out of his way. The aura around his body remained. It was then that the dream ended and Schierke was snapped out of her daydream.

"Master? We've arrived," Farnese chirped as she grabbed Schierke's shoulder. Immediately the young witch was brought back into reality, her eyes staring back into Farnese's.

"Oh…yes, right." She smiled as she turned and retrieved her staff. The two walked towards the edge of the ship, climbing into a small boat that they would be taking to reach the bank of the island of Elfhelm. The ship was anchored properly and the crew continued any last-minute repairs to their ship.

_Another dream. Who is that man? Is he connected to me somehow? And if so, why? He must be truly powerful and wise. His Od was strong and steady, which is something that magic users can only attain through years of practice. I hope I can get some answers here._

She let herself trail off again, her mind set on trying to figure out these dreams and visions.

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The party spent over an hour trekking along a trail that ran straight through the dense forests of Elfhelm. The air smelled thick with the scent of pine needles and water, the very atmosphere drowning in Od. Schierke could practically smell the Od, tiny droplets of energy forming in the air to look like tiny floating diamonds. To the others it didn't seem like anything special, but to the young witch it was like stepping into a realm made of magic.

_My mistress told me of this place's story. It is one of the few places left where spirits roam wild, the air itself is alive, and even the humblest of magic-users are incredibly powerful. I am honored to be here. _

Looking up, she could see the sun breaking through the trees in silent tranquility. She would stay here for the rest of her life if she didn't feel the need to keep the others safe on their journeys.

"So puck, where's all the wizards you were talkin' about before? I'm not seein' anything," Ishidoro asked with an irritated tone. He was a little too hungry to be walking around in a forest. Next to him walked Isma who, despite her normally ecstatic persona, was silent during the entire walk. The small elf turned to face Ishidoro, a large smile on his face.

"Don't worry, dropi. You'll see some!"

"tch….not that I really care. I just don't wanna be here anymore. I feel like this place'll swallow me whole. What do ya think?" Ishidoro asked, looking at Isma. Isma shook her head, clearing her of her daydream before she could respond.

"Are you kidding? I love it! Magic, elves, sea gods, just….just everything is….this is what I've always wanted to be a part of!" She waved her arms to articulate her excitement for everything that had happened to her in the last three days. She still was having a difficult time coping with the discovery of her true identity.

"Yeah, I guess it's alright. But this place is boring!" the rogue-like boy complained as he walked up and kicked the side of a tree.

"Ow! What'd ya do that for?" A booming voice echoed throughout the forest. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, Farnese standing in front of Caska in her normally protective manner. Guts slowly raised his hand to his sword handle as everyone else began looking through the trees for any sign of the source of the voice.

Silence enveloped them completely for a moment, but that moment felt like minutes.

"…Did ya hear what I just asked boy? I said, why'd ya do that?" the booming voice shot at them again. The voice was so powerful that leaves and pine needles began falling from nearby trees.

"Wh-who are you? Er-I mean where are ya? Show yourself!" Ishidoro hollered from what he thought was the direction of the voice. A short moment of silence passed once again when suddenly, out of the bark of the tree near Ishidoro, a short and elderly man stepped forward. He seemed to materialize, leaving all but Schierke surprised.

"You see, I told you," Puck scoffed, slowly hovering his way towards the old man. The old man was dressed in simple robes and in his left hand he held an intricate staff. He had a medium-length beard and a look of impatience.

"W-w-whoa!" was all that came from Ishidoro and Isma. Both were completely shocked at the arrival of this elderly man.

"It seems we have found a wizard," Seprico whispered under his breath.

Puck continued towards the older man, buzzing like a bee near its hive.

"Old man Jaren! It's been years, what's up?" Puck asked as he swam circles in the air around the elderly wizard. Jaren just opened his eyes slowly, his face going from impatient to irritated. Everyone was expecting an answer in kind, but what happened next took them by surprise. In a single motion, Jaren grabbed Puck out of the air and held him close to his face.

"P-p-p-puck? What in the protector's name are you doing back here? I kicked you off this island after that last incident! Now you expect me to take you back?" He continued his rant, Puck's companions soon finding themselves knowing too much information.

_Looks like he isn't just a nuisance with us, _was everyone's thought. After what seemed like an hour-long ass-kicking, Puck recovered and Jaren was calm once again.

"Ahem….so Puck, now that you are here I suppose I have to ask you why you've returned. And more than that, why have you brought visitors?"

Puck pointed out Caska. "We've been travelling for months to get here to help her. Her name's Caska and she's a branded one."

"A branded one?" Jaren asked inquisitively. "To be a sacrifice was she? I'm amazed that she's alive."

Schierke approached the old man, shifting the brim of her witch's hat so she could see a bit better. "Her mind is broken. I've heard from my mistress and from Puck that she might have her mind mended. She has no recollection of herself or her past."

"A broken mind is a terrible thing indeed. She must've been through a lot. I can sense that she and the big fellow there have been exposed to more than any human should ever have to. If it's as serious as you say, then we must see the grand witch: Esper."

Immediately, Puck froze on the spot. "Ya'know…I should head back to the ship and make sure everything is alri-agh!"

Puck was grabbed in mid-air before he could fly away. Jaren's smile almost seemed sadistic as he breathed his next words. "Oh no, Puck. I'm sure she'd love to have a word with you."

Puck turned white, going limp in defeat. "I'm dead."

"This witch…Esper, can she really heal Caska?" Guts asked, his normally stoic attitude melting away at the possibility of it all.

"Yes indeed she can. Though I can't guarantee anything, if anyone is capable, it is her. Please, follow me and I will take you to her," Jaren replied happily, shoving Puck into his pocket so as to not let the little scamp escape whatever fate awaited him.

"Woah…this is so cool!" Isma whispered excitedly into Ishidoro's ear. The boy just crossed his arms, pretending not to be impressed. Truthfully, he was glad to see that their travels weren't for nothing. He also saw this as an opportunity to improve his skills in combat.

Schierke went silent, watching as Guts began asking questions to Jaren, Caska and Farnese walking closely behind. She strolled next to Isma and Ishidoro, throwing herself into her thoughts.

_Mistress only ever mentioned a witch named Esper once, and even then it was nothing more than part of a story she told me long ago. I hope she can cure Caska, and then answer my questions._

**A/N: End of the first chapter! Hopefully it isn't boring you guys too much hahaha! I'm trying my best here. Please R&R! =D**


	3. Chapter 2 Esper

**The Blue Skies: Chapter 2 – Esper **

The group, led by Jaren, moved deeper into the forest, the trail becoming deceptively smaller as they walked through several powerful barriers. They were vast and required much more Od than the late witch Flora had to maintain. It was comforting to know that they were safe for now. Another hour passed before they finally reached a clearing. As they did, everyone's faces lit up to the sight before them.

It was like a small city. Houses and huts made from gargantuan trees surrounding the area lined the clearing, the center of the clearing holding a small pond. The pond was encircled with sandstone, the water glowing with a bright blue. The houses made from the trees were inter-weaved, small walkways formed using the exposed roots, criss-crossing in all directions. To the group of newcomers, it looked as if it were one large network.

"Welcome to the city of Elfhelm. It might not look like much, but it is our home," Jaren presented, walking ahead of everyone and moving towards the pond. Guts followed closely, looking around at the people within his sight. There were dozens of magi and hundreds of elves. The magic encasing the city moved in circles around the air, creating what looked like small tornados of energy. As they walked into the city, the party brought their attention to a young-looking woman standing next to the pond in the center of the clearing. The woman was dipping her hand in the water, moving it around in a figure-eight pattern.

"It has been quite some time since we've had visitors. In fact, it has been centuries," the young woman by the pond spoke, her voice sounding like a piece of beautiful music. Guts stopped behind Jaren as Jaren slowly began to bow before the young woman.

"Yes Master Esper. And another old face has returned as well," he said, holding up the small form of Puck in his left hand. Esper's eyebrow twitched, a grin appearing on her face.

"He's totally screwed," Evarella could be heard saying from behind the party of travelers.

"H-hi, Esper…" Puck mumbled. A part of him could have sworn he just shrunk by two more sizes.

"Welcome back, Puck." The master witch sung. "As much as I'd like to punish you, I've decided ultimately to forgive you for your…ecstatic behavior."

Jaren, who had been hoping for a thrashing, lowered his head in defeat. _I can't believe he got away with all that!_

Esper, who had her eyes fixed Puck, brought her attention to Guts and Caska, eyeing them with what looked like caution. "Jaren, be a dear and tell me who your friends are."

"Master Esper. I bring forth these travelers from afar. They have gone almost literally through hell to see you for they have an urgent request for you," Jaren replied, his head bowing low enough to almost touch the ground.

"Thank you, Jaren. And yes, I know why they have come. Please, let me see the girl," Esper said, motioning for Caska to move forward. Guts turned and lightly grabbed Caska by the arm, Caska's face forming a scowl of distrust in Guts's direction. He had gotten so used to that look that now it almost seemed unnatural for her to do this when he came near her.

"Yes, that's it. Let me see her."

After a bit of struggling, Caska was brought before Esper. The master witch stood, her body reaching nearly six feet in height.

"Heh…that's a tall broad alright," Ishidoro mumbled under his breath. Schierke gave him a quick whack on the head with her staff.

"Show some respect!" The young witch whispered into his ear. Isma was too mesmerized by the master witch that stood before her. Farnese especially was awe-struck. She, a brand-new witch in training was standing before the most powerful witch in existence. It was intimidating and yet comforting at the same time. Even Guts felt at ease, his scar giving him no pain at all.

With a flick of her wrist, Esper placed her hand on Caska's forehead. Closing her eyes gently, Esper began focusing her mind. Jaren kept himself bowing low as he watched the master witch work her magic. Caska touched Esper's hand, rubbing it in confusion. She was about to pull away Esper's hand when suddenly her body went limp. Guts reached quickly to grab her before she fell, but before he could do that, Caska's body began to float in the air, Esper's hand still resting on her forehead. Schierke could see it all in the action. Esper's Od was flowing into Caska's consciousness, feeling, probing, touching. Esper was trying to find the source of the problem. It didn't take her long.

In a rush of thoughts and feelings, Esper brought forth from the recesses of Caska's subconscious all of the memories of what happened to her and her comrades that ultimately caused her to regress into the person she was now. Esper's facial expression went from being calm and collected to being filled with rage, fear, confusion and a stabbing feeling of betrayal. A few seconds later, Caska's body dropped to the ground, Guts catching her as Esper's eyes opened. She didn't look too happy, but she was not angry as one would think.

"This is a tragedy. Truly, I am sorry to see what I have seen. You two have been through so much. I saw a face…a face of a man that caused the shattering of her mind. He has long, white hair and a face that one would call beautiful. And a smile, a cold, calculated smile stretched across his face," Esper said to Guts as she knelt before them to look closely at Caska.

"Griffith." Guts growled through gritted teeth.

"Yes. And if the memories I saw were correct, the fifth God Hand member. So that ripple of power I felt was in fact the start of the merging of worlds."

"But…" Guts sounded like he was pleading. "Can you help her?"

Esper looked over Caska once more, her eyes focusing on the scar located on Caska's chest.

"Yes I can. But it will take her at least a week to recover. She will be bed-ridden for a while."

Guts smiled, laughing lightly in relief as he moved away from Caska's limp form.

The master witch just nodded as she raised one hand, Caska's body lifting into the air as Esper moved her towards one of the houses in the trees.

"Come, follow me," Esper said, her voice trailing off in a musical note. Everyone nodded in silence as they followed.

The inside of Esper's home was simple yet majestic in a way. The walls adorned shelves upon shelves of potions, books and ingredients. In the main room sat a clay jug atop a thin table, next to it a bed made from wood of the tree. Farnese was in awe, the room teeming with Od that she could feel surrounding them.

Esper laid Caska on the bed, her eyes focused on the brand placed on Caska's chest. In a single motion, she turned to face the jug of water sitting on the table. Lifting it, she turned back to Caska and began to pour the water onto the unconscious woman's body. But instead of splashing like one would normally expect, the water flowed out like a gas, hovering in the air just inches above Caska's form. The master witch was now entranced in her remedial magic, dropping the jug onto the floor and moving her hands over the water that hovered above Caska.

"Et forn cus, sesene mon ja de…Kelevis," were the first words she spoke. Schierke, although very knowledgeable in the languages of magic, could not decipher what Esper was chanting. It then hit her like a brick…Esper was using a very, very ancient form of magic. It was overwhelming to see a witch that could perform magic far beyond her mistress's abilities as if it were a routine spell.

"Sol yun I reay Kelevis. Srut Sol run I reay Kelevis. Mon ja Kelevis," she repeated, her words ringing like a whisper on the wind. Caska's body began moving on its own, her back arching as her face twisted into a look of despair. She looked to be in pain, but every so often she would return to a look a tranquility. Esper worked like a surgeon, slowly making incisions in the mind and then quickly sewing the broken pieces back together. A light coat of sweat began to form on the master witch's brow.

"A-amazing!" Farnese exclaimed, completely transfixed. Ishidoro and Isma, though concentrating on the activity before them, began to explore the house at the same time. Guts for once had hope, his spirit lifting as he felt his worries suddenly melt into satisfaction. Soon he would be with her again like it should be.

The chant grew louder and stronger, Esper making a visible effort to be quick and yet careful. Patching the mind took time, patience and an agility with magic. Memories and thoughts had to be patched quickly otherwise they would be lost within seconds. It was rough work, Caska writhing under the pressure of the spellcraft placed on her. The chant grew even stronger, more aggressive, the master witch bringing the spell to its end. In a sudden jerk of energy, she pushed the water floating in the air onto Caska's forehead, concentrating her magic into a single point.

"Sol yun…I reay Kelevis!" The spell ended with a spark, Caska's body making one last yank into the air before resting into a deep sleep. The water splashed over the bed and onto the floor, Esper backing up into one of the shelves. Panting, she smiled and looked at Guts with a content look.

"It is done. Let her rest now, she'll need it."

Guts smiled genuinely for once and nodded. "Thanks a lot. I owe ya one."

"Haha...No need. It was my pleasure to help," Esper laughed, walking over to a seat and sitting down. She relaxed her shoulders and looked over at Caska. "She'll be fine now. Though I must warn you, she may not take too well to her memories being returned to her. It is dangerous because if she cannot cope with it, she will regress once more and then it might be impossible to bring her back."

Guts nodded, turning and walking out of the house. Ishidoro, now bored, followed suit, issuing challenges to Guts as he did so. Farnese made a prayer in her head, walking out as well, Seprico following her. Puck and Eva flew out quickly after, both making plans to go see King Hanafubuku. Isma, who now found no one to talk to, hurried out to meet the others, leaving the place vacant with the exception of Schierke and Esper.

The two witches stared at each other for a short while.

"….I sense you have many questions for me young one," the master witch inquired, picking up another jug of water and pouring herself and Schierke a cup.

"Yes I do. Like for instance, how old are you really?"

"Does it matter?" Esper asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Not really, I suppose. But you must be centuries old, like my mistress was."

"Yes, I'm around four hundred I think. It's been so long hahaha! I can't really remember my age now. Is that all?"

"No," Schierke replied, taking a sip from her cup. Looking down at it, she stared at the reflection of herself in the water. "I'm…having visions. It's of a man of great importance, I'm sure of it. But I've never met him before. Why would this be happening?"

Esper's eyes widened at this, a smile creeping across her face.

"Interesting. I've had visions before as well, but they were always visions of people or events that are linked to me. It happens when your Od is in tune with another's. This man must be connected to you somehow, you may just not know why. In these visions, what was he doing?"

Schierke didn't quite know how to go about it, so she just went with the direct approach. "He is following the same path that my companions and I took to get here. In one of my visions, he burned over a hundred apostles to ashes. When he did this, he was covered in flames in the shape of a phoenix."

At that instance, Esper dropped her cup, the water spilling out onto the floor. Schierke jumped in her seat, watching as Esper knelt down to clean up the mess with a small rag she had on her.

"Oh, I'm sorry for that, young one. It's just….I know this man you speak of. I have met him twice and he is a powerful mage. In fact, he's unnaturally powerful. In terms of knowledge and command over spells, he surpasses me. Mistress Flora probably didn't speak of him too much I imagine. But he should be as important to you as you are to him."

"I see…but who is he?" Schierke asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"Well, if your name is Schierke and your visions are accurate...then he is your brother."

**A/N: Okay….second chapter done. Please don't throw too many stones! Lol. Please R&R and let me know what you think. =D**


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